Pope Francis Invokes Abraham Lincoln Martin Luther King Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton in Address to Congress

10:07 AM in abraham, address, and, Aqua, congress, day, dorothy, francis, in, invokes, king, lincoln, luther, martin, merton, pope, thomas, to

Here is a quote from Pope Francis in his address to Congress on Sept. 24.

"A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to dream of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton." 

Here is the full text of the popes address to Congress.

And this is how our friend Richard Wood, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico, tweeted the quote. 

Francis: Calling us all to our best selves: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton pic.twitter.com/ILnk8LX0j7

— Richard Wood (@RichWoodUNM) September 24, 2015

Prof. Wood, who traveled to Washington and Philadelphia for the popes visit, wrote a blog piece in anticipation of the pontiffs trip to our country.  Here is an excerpt:

Precisely what Pope Francis will say to America will be revealed only when he steps on our shores. But his visit seems likely to spotlight how the Catholic Church works on multiple levels like no other human agency in the world: with deep roots in local communities and people’s concrete lives; guided by a coherent set of teachings about human life and meaning; driven by transcendent values and Gospel teachings; and capable of worldwide coordination under Spirit-inspired leadership. 
 Read Full Post

Read more

Father James Martin How to Avoid Christmas Stress No Less Yes

3:20 AM in Aqua, avoid, christmas, father, how, james, less, martin, no, stress, to, yes

(Thanks to Jesuit Father James Martin for this reflection, which was one of his Facebook posts)

Can I make a confession? I’m starting to dislike Christmas. Before you ask me to hand in my collar, let me clarify.

When I say “Christmas” I mean the unpleasant cultural trappings that have almost suffocated the holiday: overheated stores packed with stressed-out shoppers; the pressure people feel to buy, buy, buy; and the endless commercials that make the season feel more about spending money than about anything else.

Is it possible to set aside the unhealthy aspects of Christmas and focus on the Nativity of Our Lord?

Yes, and let me suggest three ways to do so.

• First, just say no. You don’t have to go to every party, send a card to every friend, or buy a gift for every family member. Saying no to one thing (a party) means saying yes to something else (time to pray).
• Second, just say less. Try sending three-quarters as many cards or buying half the gifts you did last year.
• Third, just say yes. Choose events that are more spiritual (church services, lessons, and carols) as a way to nourish yourself and prepare for the real Christmas.

Overall, it’s important to pull back from the craziness and to carve out more time for prayer during the Advent and Christmas season. Happily, the beautiful readings of Advent easily invite us to prayer.

Christ wants to enter into your life in a new way during these holy weeks. But if you’re in a store listening to two people fight over a video game, you may not hear him.

Read more